If I Never Was
by Madyamisam
Summary: Kaiba makes a life changing wish. SXJ Shonen Ai
1. Chapter 1

Title: If I Never Was

Chapter: 1/?

Author: Madyamisam

Rating: PG-13

Wish maker: Seto

Beta: Daisey

Spoilers: References to characters from the Noah's Arc and KC Grand Prix saga.

Disclaimer: Madyamisam does not own Yu-Gi-Oh and she is very sad that she doesn't so don't be mean to her by going as far as putting a law suit on her for copyright infringement. For the character of Hatori I named him after Fruits Basket's Hatori Sohma but other than that the character is mine. ALL MINE!!!

Summary: What would life be like without any responsibilities? To be able to live freely from the restraints of your duties and become ordinary? What would life be like… if there never was, Seto Kaiba?

A/N: Since this is an AU, Seto and Jou are OOC but necessarily so because the wish had made it that way:P so there.

---

The Ichigawa home was a fairly large place to house a family of three, yet it was modest enough to maintain the warm atmosphere that many of the large mansions seemed to lack. That day, it had been alive with life as a young man in his late twenties paced back and forth, searching frantically about his large living room.

Hatori Ichigawa was late for work, and it was not helping that he could not find his car keys anywhere. Acutely aware of the minutes ticking by, he brushed back his long brown mane and closed his grey eyes, trying to remember where he had last put the damn things. He opened his eyes again when a jangle caught his attention. His eldest son stood in the doorway with a huge grin on his face, waving the precious keys in the air. The bright brilliance of the boy's blue eyes seemed to twinkle just like his beloved wife's had done before she'd passed away three years ago. Breathing a sigh of relief that he was not going to be as late as he thought, he smiled gratefully.

"Thank you Se-cha-" he was cut off when the eight year old teasingly tucked the keys behind his back and giggled, stepping away from the man. Hatori made a face, somewhere between a pout and a scowl. "Seto…" he warned, only to be answered with a squeal as the small boy made a run for it. "COME BACK HERE!!!" he shouted as he gave chase, tripping himself on a rug in the process. This added to the delight to the younger brunet who had raced upstairs to hide. The smallest member of the Ichigawa family squealed and ran after him to join in the game, however, because of his short and stubby baby legs, Mokuba was still rather awkward on the steps. Scooping the toddler into his arms, Hatori leapt up the stairs as he searched for his more quick and elusive son. Plopping Mokuba back down at the top of the steps, Hatori searched the bedrooms and quickly caught onto the slight snigger coming from under the bed. With an all-knowing smirk he reached under and relentlessly tickled the little figure beneath it. Seto screamed with laughter, and the older brunet chuckled as he brought the tickling session came to an end. "Now, give me the keys"

"NO!" Seto yelled defiantly. Still grinning madly, he kept them tightly in his fist, only to be met with another torturing bout of the elder Ichigawa's fingers.

"You little scamp," Hatori growled playfully. But, despite his own amusement playtime had to come to an end. "Seto, seriously, stop messing about now. I really need to get to work," he explained. The young boy pouted, but he finally relinquished the man's keys. Hatori smiled. "Good boy. Now, come on downstairs to see your babysitter," he whispered, planting a kiss on his son's head and taking him by the hand.

"I'll take good care of them Ichigawa-san," the babysitter said, bowing low as was the custom in the Japanese household before plucking the younger of the two brothers into her arms.

"Thank you, Aiko. Well Se-chan, Moku-chan, Ja ne," he quipped, jogging toward his car.

"TOU-SAN!" Seto shouted, waving as the car backed out of the driveway. "COME HOME SOOON!!!" Hatori left with a smile on his face, driving to work, and never suspecting that that day would mark a drastic change in his son's life.

---

The various lines weaved up and down between the numbers and decimals as Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose. Frustrated with what he could see from them, he scowled at the offending screen and began to type up the counter measures to tackle the problem that was Kaiba Corp. All in all, it was a simple problem to solve. However, he seemed to lack the motivation to get it done. He sighed as he stared petulantly at his bedroom door, half expecting Mokuba to come bounding in. But, his kid brother had gone out, and Kaiba had dismissed all the servants for the night- with the exception of his best security guards, who stood outside the estate. Seto usually wasn't bothered by the silence, but today, it held an oppressive air to it, stirring deeply hidden emotions inside of him. It unnerved him, for he'd believed that he'd had all such emotions repressed long ago. It was all because of what had happened the day before.

It had started out just like any other normal school day, with the exception that the students were busy organising for the next annual Culture Festival. Seto had never had much interest in such events, and had never contributed to any of the preparations. And, the few times he'd been pressured to do so, Kaiba Corp had always made a good excuse for anything he hadn't wanted to be a part of. No one really bothered him, which was how he liked it. For whatever reason, Seto had declined to take the limo from school, deciding instead to walk to Kaiba Corp. That mistake had been the first on the path that had led him to his sombre mood. He had been walking in the park when he'd heard a familiar cackle that had sent cold shivers down his spine. Rather than walk right on past, he had decided to investigate- his second mistake of the day. The 'geek patrol', as he had had named it, was sitting around one of the trees, apparently enjoying a picnic of junk food from the nearby Burger World restaurant. He sneered in disgust when the blond stuffed a whole, king-sized burger down his throat. It nearly choked the mutt, and Kaiba hadn't been able to help but think that that would have been a sight to see. However, his slightly twisted amusement had been short lived, for Yugi had spotted him lingering just on the outskirts of their vision.

"Hey Kaiba!" he'd chirped, waving ecstatically. "Do you want to come and join us?" the blond had paused, the straw of his drink hovering near his lips. Kaiba had merely rolled his eyes, looking ahead to where he'd been going.

"I have better things to do than hang around with a midget, his pet, a shark head and a ditz," he'd retorted coolly, smirking as he'd noticed the blood boil on the blond's face.

"Relax Jounouchi, just breathe," Anzu had whispered, trying to calm the blond down. Kaiba had been surprised when, for once, the blond had obeyed the girl and turned his back on him. Intrigued for the first time, he'd been about to probe Jou's odd behaviour some more, when said blond stood up and excused himself from the group before walking away in the other direction.

"See you tomorrow Jounouchi-kun," Yugi had chirped as the blond bid farewell with a wave, his bag slung upon his shoulders. It was weird that the blond had left so early; he always spent copious amounts of time with his friends, so what was the special occasion for going home? Seto had mulled over that query in his head and, his curiosity getting the better of him, he'd made a detour around the group so as to follow the blond- his third mistake. He'd trailed Jounouchi for a couple of blocks when the blond had stopped at one of the apartment complexes. Although it was a council house, it had looked like a fairly clean place. However, Jou had hesitated at the staircase just as a man had pulled up onto one of the driveways and gotten out of his vehicle, his eyes weary and a sombre expression on his face.

"Tou-san, welcome home," Jou had greeted, making the elder Jounouchi sigh. "How was the interview?" Hajime Jounouchi had sighed again, the familiar mop of blond hair casting a shadow over his eyes. His son had given an understanding smile as he'd moved to console his father for failing to get the job. Jou had managed to keep the two out of the red for a while with a combination of two jobs and balancing his work with school. It was a huge strain on the teen, but knowing that his father was trying made it bearable, if only just a little. Hajime had shaken silently as his son had drawn closer. "Hey, it's cool. I can still manage the finances for a little wh-"

"MMMHAA!!!! I GOT THE JOB!!!" the man had roared, his sombre expression instantly changing into one of joy as he'd grabbed his son in a huge bear hug and swung him about. At first the teen had been speechless, but then the huge grin that Seto was used to seeing had appeared on his face.

"OH MY GOD!!! DON'T DO THAT TO ME!!" he'd screamed back despite his happiness for his father. Father and son had ended up dancing on the street for a few minutes before the elder Jounouchi had hurried back to his car.

"This, my boy, calls for a celebration." Instantly, Jou had faltered, his face blanching in dread.

"It's not alcohol is it?" the teen had murmured. Hajime had become serious, his aged eyes deep with understanding, guilt and determination. Facing his son, he'd pointed towards his own face.

"Look at me…" Jou had obeyed, staring at his father intently. "I promise you… I will not go there… ever… again. I'm making a new start. You understand?" Jou had nodded, his faith in his father restored as Hajime had reached for the package in his car. Jou had smiled with relief when he'd realised what it was. His father had then started singing to the theme of 'I Feel Pretty': "SUKIYAKI… SUKIYAKI… SUKIYAKI WE'RE HAVING TONIGHT!!!"

"OI!!" Jounouchi had tried to scowl in spite of the feeling of jubilation as his father had locked the car and pulled his son up to the apartment. "DON'T GO BUYING EXPENSIVE STUFF LIKE THAT!!! ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PAID YET!!!" Despite his protest, they'd laughed all the way up the stairs.

When it had been quiet once more, Seto had emerged from the shadow in a corner as a tight ache had surfaced in his chest. "Sukiyaki huh?" he'd muttered dully. He'd stared longingly at the building where Jou and his father were enjoying their success, an old, familiar loneliness seeming to well up inside of him. If he'd strained his ears he could hear the singing and laughter within the complex and, despite the Jounouchi household's evident poverty, he'd known that they were happy. His fist had clenched as suddenly he'd felt the injustice of it all- his life, his achievements. What had it all really come to? Shaking his head, Seto had tried to forget what he'd seen and had left for work. However, by the time he'd reached the front door of the huge sky scraper, he'd come to the conclusion that he couldn't bare to stand another minute in it. He'd informed his secretary, Maki, that he'd be working at home, and had asked her to cancel any meetings he'd had that day. Thankfully, Maki, being the diligent and reliable employee that she was, had obeyed without any further question, quickly and calmly dealing with the situation and standing her ground for her employer against any of the disgruntled businessmen that he'd been scheduled to meet that day. That taken care of, Seto had once again declined for a limo and had walked home.

Absently, the brunet fingered the key to a drawer that he kept locked. Opening it, he looked at the framed picture, wiping away the dust as the face of his real father, not Gozaboro Kaiba- the insane monster that had adopted him- appeared. His father had been as honest as they came and Seto felt saddened that he could only vaguely remember him. The man in the picture stared back at him with a huge grin on his face, holding his brother, who had been about two at the time, in one arm whilst the other rested on the shoulder of his younger self. 'I wonder… would he have come back if I hadn't… that day' Seto felt the already overwhelming loneliness intensify ten-fold, and he growled as he slammed the photo face down on the desk and switched off his computer. Knowing that he could not do any more work, he decided to have an early night, heading straight to his bathroom for a shower. He waited impatiently as the spray from the showerhead became hot, and he winced when the water burned his skin. Slowly, the burning began to ease, and he washed vigorously before getting out. Wiping away the condensation, he saw that the heat of the shower had caused his usual pale face to develop a pink hue in his cheeks. But, what shocked him was the horrible redness in his eyes and the trail of tears running down his face. 'I'm not crying… I can't be crying,' he denied, his thoughts running wild as he tried to come up with an explanation. Thinking of none except that he had succumbed to his own emotions, he roared furiously, picking up a bottle and throwing it at the mirror, smashing it in the process. He stormed out of the bathroom, throwing the silk covers over himself only to listen to his uncontrollable sobs. He hated it. He hated not being under control; he hated losing himself like this. "Why? Why am I acting this way… all because of that… that idiot and his father?" he wiped away the tears angrily as he willed himself to stop crying. Slowly, as he finally started to calm down, the strands of his childhood memories started to connect together as he remembered the last time he had cried this hard.

---

Seto knew that he was just a child like all the other people said he was, but he hated it when being a child constituted being stupid. He knew both what had happened, and what could happen to his father, and he'd hoped that it wouldn't come to this as he stood at the door of the ward. His brother was sitting beside where he stood, swinging his stubby legs back and forth on the fairly high chair whilst clinging to his brother's shirt due to the strange smelling place he was forced to be in. The nurse opened the door and nodded at the elder boy, a look of pity evident in her eyes as she guided them inside. The figure before him was unrecognisable amidst the beeping monitors and tubing running in and out of the bed. He hated it. He was disgusted with it yet, somewhere beneath the bandages he could recognise that the figure lying there was indeed his father.

"Papa?" Mokuba uttered, pulling away from his brother, and awkwardly pulling himself onto the chair beside the bed. A childish chuckle escaped the three-year-old's lips. "Wakey, wakey! Papa!" he called, nudging the prone man. The smile faltered when Hatori didn't respond. He resorted to his brother for help. "Nii-san! Papa won't wake up…" when the elder boy didn't move, Mokuba pouted and continued trying to wake his father. "PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! PAPA! PA-"

"MOKUBA!" Seto choked, frightening the younger boy. The young brunet swallowed as he gathered himself. "T-Tou-san… is really, really tired. W-Why don't we… let him sleep a little longer?" Mokuba whined his protest but quieted down as Seto sat with him. A few hours passed with nothing more but the steady beep of the heart monitor, and soon, Mokuba had fallen asleep. Seto stared at his father's still figure, wondering why something so horrible could happen to such a good person. He leaned over the chair, careful not to knock his brother to the floor, and touched the bandaged arm.

"Tou-san… I was right, wasn't I? You're just tired, right? You'll wake up soon, and we can go home, right?" Getting no confirmation from the still man, the tears started to well up in his eyes. He shook the bandaged arm, hoping to get a response. A grin, a sound or even a twitch of a finger would do. "Please… Tou-san… please wake up… I… I'm scared… Tou-san. Wake up. I… I… I-I promise I won't mess about anymore. I won't run away with the keys and make you late for work. Please Tou-san…" he choked as one tear fell after another. He became frantic when the regular beeps of the machine became one continuous sound, and the bumps on the heart monitor became flat. "Tou-san? Tou-san!? TOU-SAN!" he all but screamed as tears ran in rivulets down his face. His scream woke his brother and both cried hard along side each other. Their wails carried on even as the nurses picked them both up and took them out of the room whilst the doctors tried hard to resuscitate their father. "TOU-SAAAAAN!!!!" Seto screamed, reaching out towards Hatori as the ward hospital closed.

---

Kaiba tightened his fist around his sheets as the cries of his younger self echoed in his mind. He growled as he tried to will the painful memories away and think about tomorrow. Sitting up, he switched on his bedside lamp, shivering slightly as the cold air hit his bare chest. He stared at the table where he had last placed the photo. Rising from the bed, he picked it up again, gazing upon the happy family pictured there. Seto had blurred memories of his mother; she had died soon after Mokuba was born. But, he could remember how hard his father had worked to compensate for that loss. Looking back, Seto found it remarkable how his father had been able to keep smiling like he had, how he'd managed to balance his work and still spend time with sons. It was something that he, Seto Kaiba, had never managed to do. Ever since the adoption, he had never been able to spend as much time with his brother as Mokuba wanted. Then he realised that all of his work, his achievements, and his goals suddenly seemed like nothing compared to Hatori's accomplishments. Back when he and Mokuba had been in the orphanage, Seto had believed that money was the answer for happiness. That had been why he'd tricked Gozaboro Kaiba into adopting them. For Seto, it hadn't mattered how far he had gone or how many obstacles he had overcome. Each success had been easily forgotten, and he'd quickly moved on to the next problem to get another fix. But now, it was the simple things that Hatori had done, like risking being five minutes late for work just to play chase with him that seemed to stand out in his memories and bring a smile to his face. What saddened Seto even more was that Mokuba seemed to have forgotten his real father. It was understandable in a way; he had only been three when Hatori died, after all. Laying back down on the large bed, another tear fell from Seto's eyes. "If I could, I'd trade everything I've ever done, everything I've ever achieved to have it back as it used to be," he whispered to the picture as the pillow caught the droplets from his eyes. "I wish I'd never won that chess game with that man. I wish you were still here. I… I wish I was never Seto Kaiba…" one final tear fell from his eyes as, finally, the exhaustion claimed him and he slept. It seemed like just a few minutes when he woke up again, his eyes still heavy with sleep. He groaned, sensing someone beside his bed wince. He sat up in alarm in case someone had broken into the mansion.

"Eh heh… Sorry… Se-chan," Hatori chuckled lightly. "I was just checking up on you."

"T-Tou-san?" Seto spluttered. It couldn't be… But it was. His father. A few grey hairs and wrinkles had appeared with age, but it was him.

"SHH!" Hatori placed a finger on his lips for silence. "You don't want to wake your brother up," Without another thought, Seto grabbed his father in an embrace, catching the older man by surprise. "What was that for?"

"Uh… nothing…" Seto responded, recoiling back. "W-welcome home."

"Hmm…" Hatori raised an incredulous eyebrow, and then scoffed. "Weirdo…" he said, chuckling. "Go back to sleep now. You've got school tomorrow, haven't you?"

"Uh… um… yeah… g-goodnight…" Seto stuttered, burying his face back under the pillow whilst his father continued to snigger at his odd behaviour. Seto took a deep breath as the thoughts of that life of being a CEO ran through his head. "Boy… that was one depressing dream," Seto murmured as he drifted to sleep again.

---

Sam: Well I'm back sort of... I'll try and finish all my other stories but for now enjoy. All those that are still out there. :S


	2. Chapter 2

Title: If I Never Was

Chapter: 2/3

Author: Madyamisam

Rating: PG-13

Wish maker: Seto

Beta: Daisey

Spoilers: References to characters from the Noah's Arc and KC Grand Prix saga.

Disclaimer: Madyamisam does not own Yu-Gi-Oh and she is very sad that she doesn't so don't be mean to her by going as far as putting a law suit on her for copyright infringement. For the character of Hatori I named him after Fruits Basket's Hatori Sohma but other than that the character is mine. ALL MINE!!!

Summary: What would life be like without any responsibilities? To be able to live freely from the restraints of your duties and become ordinary? What would life be like… if there never was, Seto Kaiba?

A/N: Since this is an AU, Seto and Jou are OOC but necessarily so because the wish had made it that way:P so there.

---

The eight-year-old giggled as he ran into his bedroom, wondering what to do to hide himself. His glance shifted between the window and the gap underneath the bed. Knowing that he'd have to work to fit beneath the bed, he opted for the window, pulling it open and carefully stepping onto a ledge of the roof. Crawling on all fours, he waited for his father to find him, fighting to keep himself from sniggering as the man entered the room.

"Seto? Seto? Where are you?" Hearing the hint of panic in his father's voice, the boy shouted out to spare him any further anxiety.

"TOU-SAN! TOU-SAN, OUT HERE!" he shouted. Gasping, Hatori poked his paling face out of the window, all thoughts of work forgotten as his son waved happily back at him from the ledge.

"SETO, GET BACK HERE!" The man's eyes grew wide as his son crawled back along the flimsy looking ledge that hung precariously over the floor below. The instant the child was within arms length, he snatched him and pulled him back into the room.

"Tou-san finally found me, ne?" Seto giggled.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, GOING OUT THROUGH THAT WINDOW!" Hatori bellowed. "YOU COULD HAVE BROKEN YOUR NECK IF YOU'D HAVE FALLEN OFF THAT ROOF! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT WAS, OR HOW YOUR TOU-SAN FELT WHEN HE SAW YOU OUT THERE?" Seto trembled as his father's normally laid back eyes glared down at him with fury. It was the first time that Seto had seen him that angry and the outburst shocked him. His voice caught in his throat as his father shouted at him.

Aiko came in shortly after, hearing the commotion. "Ichigawa-san?" she whispered as Hatori brushed his hair back and glanced at the time on his watch. Seto stared down at the floor as tears threatened to fall down his face.

"Give me my keys," he snapped. Miserably, Seto handed them over. "You are grounded young man. We'll discuss this when I get back home." Hatori stormed out of the house whilst Aiko went to console the boy. Other than the near accident that morning, it seemed just like any other day.

---

Seto sighed, the sunlight that was hitting his face making him wince. He groaned as he tried to focus on the small clock next to his bedside. Blinking a few times, his eyes widened when he realised what time it was. "CRAP! I OVERSLEPT!" he yelped, leaping out of his bed and rushing to the room next door, which belonged to Mokuba. The door was flung backwards as the flustered brunet rushed in and shook his brother awake.

"Nii-san?" Mokuba burbled, still half asleep.

"Mokuba, get up! We're going to be late," Seto hollered, hurrying out of the room to wake his father up next. Mokuba groaned as he merely flopped backwards and went back to sleep.

"Tou-san, wake up!" Seto called into the man's room. "Come on, or you're going to be late for work!"

"Guh?" the older man responded, his eyes still unfocused. "Wah?"

"Tou-san!" Seto shouted, pulling the man's arm towards the bathroom. All of a sudden the large house was a bustle of activity as Seto, who had already been dressed for school, cooked breakfast.

"Nii-san, where did you put my jeans?!" Mokuba cried, bouncing about and pulling his shirt down.

"In the wardrobe!" Seto turned to glare at Mokuba just as the boy bounded back to his room, the shirt he had pulled down to cover his front lifting up in the back and exposing his naked bum. The brunet gaped, his eyes widened with disbelief at the sight of his half naked brother, the shock nearly leaving him with a pan full of burnt eggs. Finally, things settled down when they ate breakfast. Mokuba and Hatori talked amiably about what they planned to do today whilst Seto absently picked at his meal; for once he did not have much of an appetite. It was strange, Seto knew he went through this daily routine every day yet it seemed off and out of place. He clearly remembered another life, one where he'd been cold and isolated yet at the same time rich and powerful. The memories of being the cold and calculating CEO of the Kaiba Corporation seemed so vivid and his head seemed to buzz with numbers. Something that detailed couldn't have been a dream like he had first thought. 'Did my wish come true?' he wondered. 'Is all this a dream?'

"NII-SAN!" Mokuba shouted, shocking Seto back into reality.

"Huh? What?"

"Is there something the matter?" Hatori looked concerned, his paper abandoned and neatly folded next to his cup of coffee. "You've hardly touched your food."

"N-no, why?" Seto flushed as he shovelled his bacon into his mouth to cover up his earlier musings, and added a reassuring smile for good measure.

"Oooh… I know what's going on," Mokuba said smugly, his eyes narrowing lecherously and making his elder brother shift awkwardly in his seat. Hatori raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze from one son to the other before he realised what his youngest son was thinking.

"Oooh…" Hatori repeated, his eyes narrowing just as lecherously as Mokuba's. Seto glared at the both of them and swallowed the rest of his breakfast before getting up.

"We better go before we're late for school," he said indignantly. Hatori and Mokuba stared at the blue-eyed brunet questioningly before flashing identical, perverted smiles towards him.

"Aren't you going to tell us what you've been day dreaming about? Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?" Hatori grinned as he waggled his eyebrows.

"Tou-san!" Seto scowled, the pink hue on his cheeks turning deep red as he rushed out the door, followed by a laughing Mokuba. The two brothers walked out of their home just as the house next door suddenly exploded with angry swearing and crashing glasses.

"Looks like our neighbours are at it again, huh Nii-san?" Mokuba mused as they continued walking to school. The family next door had moved in about six months ago, and every morning there was an argument within the household. It often died out quickly with a slam of a door, so the Ichigawas never went round to complain to them. But, at the same time, Mokuba and Seto never wanted anything to do with their neighbours. In fact, they had distanced themselves from them to the extent that they didn't even know the others' names. "I wonder what their problem is. Any normal couple that argued like that would have considered divorce ages ago."

"That's none of our business, Mokuba. Now come on, or we'll be late"

"More like you don't want to disappoint Jounouchi-kun, do you, Nii-san?" Seto stopped dead in his tracks, frozen in place. "What's with the silence, Nii-san? Could it be that you really were day dreaming of doing the love-love with Katsuya-chan during breakfast?" Mokuba made mock kissing and puckering sounds and, all of a sudden, Seto feel sweat start to break out all over his face, his heart thumping so hard that it threatened to give out on him. Taking his silent answer as a yes, Mokuba jumped up and down relentlessly. "Ah ha, I was right! You naughty, naughty little man, you!"

"Mokuba!" Seto screamed, his whole body shaking with embarrassment. 'What did he mean by all of that about Jounouchi? I can barely stand him. The annoying cackle, that stupid, messy… gorgeous beautiful golden hair, and those small sweet lips and… Wait a minute…' "I have no interest in a second rate duellist that can't even duel his way out of a paper bag!" he gasped, taking deep breaths.

Mokuba stepped back with surprise. "Did you have a lover's spat with him the other day? He only lost to Pegasus once in that exhibition match, and from what you told me, that one-eyed hippy cheated with some weird magic Besides, Jounouchi might not be as crazy about that stupid game as you and Yugi are, but he can still hold his own. Anyway, he's got a good career going already, so why should he be bothered with that stuff? I mean a rock star since the age of fourteen and still rising?" Mokuba commented, his eyes sparkling.

"What do you mean?" Seto cried, clutching his head as a migraine seemed to take over.

Mokuba raised an incredulous eyebrow and wondered if his brother had lost all traces of sanity. He sighed as he explained, "Duellist Kingdom, remember? You and Yugi got invited because you were joint champions in the local tournament. Jounouchi got a special invite because Pegasus was a major fan of REB-D. The man's almost as obsessed with Jou as you are."

"Obsessed?" Seto raised an eyebrow as he tried to recollect his thoughts on that issue.

"Well except for the fact that Jou is not interested in that weird billionaire. He has his eyes on you after all. Are you stressed, or are you just high on something, Nii-san?"

"I vaguely remember my soul being sucked into a card," Seto mused, trying to sort out the conflicting thoughts before it threatened to overload his brain.

Mokuba blinked a few times. "I understand you freaking out when Jou collapsed after that Duel Monsters exhibition match with Pegasus, but now you're just scaring me. Stop it."

"Mokuba…"

"Keep away from me and go to school, you freak," Mokuba laughed, shoving his brother away as he jogged towards the gates of his middle school. Controlling his giggles for a moment, he turned back to the taller teen. "And, try not to blush too hard when you see Jou, okay?"

Seto pouted, watching his brother disappear amidst the other middle school children before heading off to Domino High. "I do not blush," he muttered to himself crossly despite the belying red hue on his cheeks. As he quickened his pace on his way to school, he cast his mind back to the alternate reality he remembered himself to be in. The horrific memory of seeing his father on the hospital bed terrified him and he didn't really want to think about it. It hadn't happened, after all. All he remembered of that day was that he had taken the foolish option of going out of the window in his game of hide and seek with his father. Hatori had been livid with him, but it was one of those old childhood experiences that would eventually end up being turned into an embarrassing story a father would tell his son's future wife… or in Seto's case husband. As for the subject of his sexual preferences, it had all really started when Jounouchi Katsuya, lead singer of the infamous REB-D rock band and his two year long crush, had come waltzing into both his classroom and his life as a new transfer student. Seto had heard that REB-D had begun as a small time local rock band from the violent and infamous Rintama middle school. Aware of the school's reputation, the brunet had never had the opportunity to listen to REB-D until his first day as a freshman in high school. Seto had heard that the band was moving to Domino High but had never thought much of it. However, the instant he saw Jou, he had been hopelessly attracted to the beautiful amber eyes and the long tousled blond mane of the other. But, it had been when he'd heard Jounouchi sing for the first time that his heart had been stolen by him. The brunet sighed as he thought of the many failed attempts to approach Jou to at least get a chance to talk to him without fan girls or boys or the singer's manager batting him out of the way. 'God, I have more chance of surviving a climb up Mount Everest in my underpants than try to find some time alone with him'

"SETO-KUUNN!!!" Seto was brought out of his thoughts when a blur of red, yellow and black zoomed towards him, skidding to a halt by his side. Anzu followed in a light jog, stopping beside them.

"Good morning, Seto," Anzu added, walking in time with them

"Morning Anzu, Yugi-kun," he greeted as the smaller boy skipped in step with his long strides. The teenaged tyke had been really quiet when they had first met, and had often been bullied. Despite his turbulent childhood, he'd grown to be a bright and happy teenager, regardless of his stunted height and the fact that he was often mistaken for being in grade school. Seto, himself often praised for his intelligence and good looks, had eventually made a hesitant friendship with him through the other Yugi. Also known as Yami, the dark copy of the petite teen had appeared when Yugi had finally managed to piece together the strange, upside-down gold pyramid. To most others, the two friends seemed highly mismatched. However, what they didn't know was that Seto and Yugi shared a passion for something that no one else their age would understand: games. Cards, chess and puzzles were just a few of things they spent spare time doing, and recently their latest craze was the increasingly popular card game of Duel Monsters. Both were so passionate about the game that they participated in all of the various local tournaments in the Domino precinct. When they'd started, neither of them had really counted on their reputations being good enough for the largest tournament ever held, but they had been hugely surprised when they had both received invitations from Pegasus himself. What had made Seto's day complete had been the fact that the man had also specially invited the rising rock star and his biggest crush, Jounouchi Katsuya, to the tournament. Funnily enough, it was around that time that he'd finally managed to talk with Jounouchi for the first time since he had come into his life. Suddenly, his thoughts flashed back to that day two years ago.

---

"Well, here you go," the old man produced the card from the decrepit box he held. Everyone gathered close and gasped at the picture of a white dragon with blue eyes, its huge neck curling around its body.

"It's called the Blue Eyes White Dragon. There are only four in the world, and I have one of them," Sugoruku Motou exclaimed proudly, his aged eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched the young people gawk at his prized treasure.

"The legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon," Seto whispered. It was always a monster that he felt was akin to him, but he knew that he'd never to be able to get one- especially since Sugoruku Motou wasn't about to let go of it at any time soon. "I wish I had one." Sugoruku grinned when he heard the brunet's words.

"Well, unfortunately, you can't have this one, Se-chan," The man chuckled when the brunet pouted.

"Don't tease him, Oji-chan; you know how much the Blue Eyes means to Seto," Yugi scowled, patting Seto on the back to console him. "But then, I bet it doesn't mean as much as to him as a certain blond I know." Yugi grinned as the brunet flushed.

Anzu chuckled as she gazed pityingly at the love struck boy. "Sometimes, I don't know whether you're the unluckiest brunet in this entire school or that you just easily get pushed over when the fans have at him."

"Well, he is famous and readily available after all, I heard that he's single and bi, but I don't know how long he will be since his popularity is still on the rise. He's getting another deal on TV already," Yugi mused.

"I haven't hung out with him much back in middle school, but I know he has got a thing for brunets with blue eyes. So, you and Anzu have the best shots- except Anzu has her eyes set on someone much shorter," Honda added with a goofy grin only to be dealt a kick by a flushed Anzu.

"In other words, Seto, you should grow some balls and push past those ditzy girls before someone snatches up your boyfriend!" Anzu shouted. But, before she could further her ranting, the floor of the shop rumbled with a stampede of girls running past the door. The friends stared wide eyed as the screaming female mob chased one lone figure round and round the street.

"Where did he go!?!?" one of the girls screamed when they lost track of whoever they were screaming about.

"Over there!!!" another screamed and the stampede started all over again down another street. The bell of the shop rang with a tinkle, indicating a customer coming in just as the mob of girls began to clear away. Seto's eyes widened when he realized that the newcomer was none other than the person that they had just been talking about, and most likely the one that the screaming fan girls thought they were chasing. A relieved sigh escaped the customer's lips as he removed his cap, letting the jaggedly styled, fringe fall over his face and eyes. Jou's blond hair was tied into a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Jou blinked a few times when the group stared at him then grinned when he saw the brunet standing amongst the friends. "HIYA!!!" he yelled with an enthusiastic wave, much to the surprise of the group of friends. "Yugi-kun, ne? So this is the game shop you were talking about at lunch today?"

"You're from Yugi's class, eh? Can I help you?" Sugoruku asked still shell shocked from the screams of the fan girls.

"I hope so. I had to run around the block twice before it was safe to come in" Jou replied. Looking around the shop, he spotted the card in the old man's hand. "Wah! WAAAAHHH!!!" he bounced, barging through the group and staring at the card in Sugoruku's hand. "The Blue Eyes White Dragon. That's so cool! I can't believe you have one!"

"You play Duel monsters?" Yugi asked.

"Mmm… a little…" Jou chirped, his eyes sparkling like a child at Christmas- until the old man closed the small box on him.

"It's not for sale though…" Sugoruku said to the now pouting blond. "This card was given to me by a friend so-"

"And it's not worth giving up for money or any other card ne?" Jou grinned, suddenly happy again. "I understand Oji-san…no need to explain…" the old man blinked in surprise and then relaxed, glad that his first impressions of the boy were wrong. Jou straightened up, pointing towards the shop window. "What actually attracted me was that little game in your shop window, the computer pet one. Can I have that?"

"Isn't that a girl's game?" Honda asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well of course it is. I'm getting it for my imouto," Jou scowled. Abruptly, he went back to grinning. "Well Oji-san, can you part with it?"

The elder Motou smiled. "Oh ho, ho, of course I can…" the old man fetched it as Jou produced his wallet and dumped his cash on the table. It was at that point that Seto noticed Jou flinch and suddenly go pale. The blond clutched at his shirt briefly whilst the Yugi helped Sugoruku pack the toy into a bag.

"Jounouchi-kun?" Seto stammered. "Are you alright?" Jou sighed as he smiled at the brunet, making him blush.

"Mmm… I'm fine…" the blond replied taking the bag. "Thank you!"

"Come again," Sugoruku exclaimed. Seto remained silent as his face lit up like a red beacon whilst his friends talked amicably with the blond. Anzu, seeing the opportunity, smiled and nudged the brown-headed boy with a sharp elbow.

"Jounouchi-kun!" Seto uttered, embarrassed when everyone fell silent to hear what he had to say. 'Oh god… I wanted to talk to him alone but now I don't know what to say….' "Um…. Uh…." Seto spluttered. "If you play Duel Monsters as well…" By then, the brunet's face had become so red that his friends were starting to worry about the possibility of him fainting in front of the blond. "Let's play Duel Monsters together sometime?" Seto finally blurted out just as his friends were about to intervene.

Jou blinked a few times and then smiled, allowing a slight pink hue to appear on his own face. "Ok…" he replied.

---

Seto blushed at the memory. It had been the first time he had spoken to the blond and since then their friendship had slowly but steadily grown, despite the other things that had kept them busy during that time- the largest being the Duellist Kingdom Tournament held by the creator of Duel Monsters, Maximillion Pegasus. He and Yugi, who had been invited for being joint winners of the local tournament, had eagerly gone- Seto more so for the fact that Jou was going to be there. Surely enough, upon arriving at the boat, they had met up with the blond. It was during that time that Seto had the chance to get to know Jou personally, rather than gleaning his information by reading his biography from various magazines or listening to his songs. Of course, by that time, he'd collected them all. Things had started out like a perfect dream with Seto watching Jou perform, the blond's goofy sometimes childlike attitude disappearing as he'd broken out into song a lot like Yugi did when he started a duel monster's match.

Seto narrowed his eyes as he vented his hatred for the man. He had been shocked to see the long-haired man's mind reading capabilities of his opponent's cards at Duellist Kingdom. During the course of the tournament, the man had shown a growing interest in Yugi and, in particular, his Millennium Puzzle. Seto and Yugi had quickly figured out the reason however, and had battled their way through only to realise the extent of Pegasus's power when he had decided to use it on the singer in an exhibition match. Jou had caught on pretty quickly to Pegasus's abilities, and had decided to not look at his card until the last second. It had thrown the creator of the game off for a while- to the extent that Jou had been on the verge of winning- when Seto had suddenly noticed that the blond had started flinching again like he had in the shop. Taking advantage of the fact that the singer had been distracted with the sudden pain, Pegasus had picked off Jou's remaining life points.

"I really do like your music Kat-chan," Pegasus had leered. "And, I think you've done well, for an amateur, to last in this game for so long but… right now I find I need the use of you in something a little less pleasant." Suddenly, the man's left gold eye had started flashing. Watching in horror as the life had drained from Jou's beautiful, amber eyes, Seto had run as fast as he could towards the stadium. He'd gasped when, moments later, Jou's picture had appeared on a previously blank card that Pegasus had held up in his hand. Just as Seto had reached him, the blond's soulless body had collapsed into his arms. It was at that point that Pegasus had upped the stakes from the three million dollars that had been his original offer. Thankfully, Yugi had, with Yami's assistance, beaten the hippy billionaire, forcing him to return Jounouchi's soul. Since then, Seto had been extremely vigilant to any changes to Jou's health.

"Seto-kun?" the brunet was brought out of his musings by a sharp poke to his sides. He smiled as they entered the classroom. His first lesson today was history, and they were going to be given assignments that morning for projects. As usual, a lot of the girls and boys would be crowding around Jou's table, asking to be his partner for the assignment. Seto smiled when he saw the blond looking bemused as his potential project partners argued amongst themselves. 'He's so cute sitting there,' he smiled. Jou was a loud person and often got himself in trouble with the tutors. But then again, his grades were pretty decent. Still, there was something about the blond that drew Seto in. 'Whether it's this life or that weird alternate universe I dreamed about, he's still the same,' Suddenly, the brunet's heart sank. 'But, I don't recall him hurting in that other world like he does right now. I hope he tells me what's wrong with him. He just laughs it off when I ask.'

"Right class, for this month's assignment, I've decided to pair you off in your projects." there was a huge, disappointed groan from most of the group as they all stared forlornly at the blond sitting in the back. Jou cocked his head and, for some reason, it made everyone squeal about how cute he looked. The tutor rolled his eyes as he read down the list and, one by one, the students' faces fell until he came upon Seto's name.

"Ichigawa Seto, you'll be paired up with Jounouchi Katsuya"

"Eh?" Seto sat up in surprise much to his friends' amusement. He turned to see that Jou was sitting there waving happily at him. The pink hue appeared on his face and he went to wave back but faltered when the many murderous gazes of his fellow classmates landed on him.

"Everyone, face the front," the older man snapped, using his authority to protect the brunet before he continued with the list. He was starting to regret putting his best pupil with the trouble magnet.

---

"Can we go to your place?" Jounouchi asked cutely as his hair flopped out when he pulled it out of his ponytail.

"S-sure…." Seto stuttered as they walked side by side. Jounouchi bounced alongside him. Seto's house was only half an hour's walk from school and, at the same time, he and Seto were able to pick up his brother Mokuba and Jounouchi talked enthusiastically whilst Seto remained silent throughout the journey. When they arrived, the younger boy decided to lock himself in his bedroom and allow Jou and Seto to start their project in the lounge. Seto took deep breaths as the ability to focus on work made conversation easier with the blond.

"Well, Jounouchi-kun, why don't we base the project on the Meji Period… its certainly the most talked about…" he blinked when he heard no answer and, looking up, he saw that Jou had curled onto one of the armchairs and had fallen asleep. Seto brushed the wayward locks from the blond's eyes and noted the heavy breathing- as if Jou had just run a marathon. He touched the blond's forehead and breathed a sigh of relief when there was no sign of a fever. 'He must be really tired. Come to think of it, he does a lot of late night gigs as well as go to school.' Seto smiled, grabbing a blanket and cloaking Jounouchi with it. Jou woke up an hour later and it seemed to have done him some good for he was literally bouncing.

"Aah! That was a good nap!" Jou bounced as he plopped next to Seto and peeped over the brunet's shoulder, causing the taller teen to suddenly freeze up. "Ooooh… you're pretty tense ne?" Jou rubbed the other's shoulders, humming happily. Somehow, Seto was irked by this as the thoughts of his alternate memories resurfaced again. 'Jou was lively but, not like this. It's like he's hiding something'

"Jounouchi? Can you tell me… why does your chest hurt sometimes?"

"Eh? Why are you asking me that?" Jou cocked his head, looking confused.

"You may be able to fool other people, but I've saw it too many times to not be concerned. What's the matter Jou?" The singer suddenly looked solemn as he rested his forearms on the small table.

"It does hurt pretty badly sometimes…" Jou replied. "My heart that is…"

A/N: Before anyone asks, yes I did base the rock star image on Ryuchi Sakuma from Gravitation. Originally, during editing Daisey noticed in my original draft that Jou's new personality was too similar to that of Sakuma. In other words, NEVER EVER LISTEN TO THE SOUNDTRACK FROM GRAVITATION WHILST YOU'RE WRITING A FIC!!! To be honest I never realised it until I read it again. My mind does so many strange things that it freaks me out. whimpers Oh and I figured since Seto is just your normal everyday boy genius. He's a lot less arrogant and kind of sweet and I believe would be more receptive in regards to human companionship (therefore made friends with Yugi-tachi). However, I made him a little too shy in my first draft but then again I'm Queen of OOCness anyway. lol Hope it doesn't show as much here. THANK YOU SO MUCH DAISEY huggles


	3. Chapter 3

Title: If I Never Was

Chapter: 3/3

Author: Madyamisam

Rating: PG-13

Wish maker: Seto

Beta: Daisey… MY GODDESS… starts blubbering when she forgot to put the Daisey in the beta box on her first chappie I'M SORRRY!!!!!

Spoilers: References to characters from the Noah's Arc and KC Grand Prix saga.

Disclaimer: Madyamisam does not own Yu-Gi-Oh and she is very sad that she doesn't so don't be mean to her by going as far as putting a law suit on her for copyright infringement. For the character of Hatori I named him after Fruits Basket's Hatori Sohma but other than that the character is mine. ALL MINE!!!

Summary: What would life be like without any responsibilities? To be able to live freely from the restraints of your duties and become ordinary? What would life be like… if there never was, Seto Kaiba?

A/N: Since this is an AU, Seto and Jou are OOC but necessarily so because the wish had made it that way,: P so there.

---

"It does hurt pretty badly sometimes…" Jou replied. "My heart that is…"

"Why?" Seto whispered.

"It was a car accident,"

"An accident?" Jou smiled.

"Mmm… I guess I must have gotten hurt pretty badly so I still get chest pains now and then."

"But with your line of work, it puts even more strain on you" Seto was alarmed by this fact.

"It's ok." Jou replied, leaning in towards the brunet. "It's something I'm willing to put up with"

"But-"

"I want to show you something"

"Jounouchi-kun!" Seto was met with pleading brown eyes.

"Please…" Jou whispered. It was clear that Jou didn't want to talk about it anymore and as much as Seto hated it, he couldn't resist the blond's silent plea. Seto nodded and settled down waiting as he watched the blond pull out a deck of Duel Monsters Cards. Jou smiled as he took out three and showed them to him.

"B-Blue Eyes White Dragons?" Seto gasped recognising the sleek picture and the foreign memories he had suddenly acquired where he had held such a beast and used in his duels. Jou nodded.

"Pegasus-san collaborated with the president of Siegfried Schroeder that European company that took over Kaiba Corp when the Kaiba future heir, Noah died. He gave them to me before Duellist Kingdom" Jou replied.

"I can't believe you have all three of them" Seto said as he remembered the day that Jou had come in and saw Sugoruku's card.

"Well, I don't remember much from what had happened after that match with Pegasus but just the fact that for some reason, I felt these three were protecting me in some way" Jou whispered. "But I never thought using them for a duel because, sometimes I get the feeling they don't really belong to me" Jou smiled as he took one of the three blue eyes and slipped it back into the deck and shuffled it. Jou turned and placed the deck between them. "Let's play a game ne?"

"A game?"

"The third Blue Eyes is in this deck somewhere so we take turns in drawing cards. The one who draws the third Blue Eyes gets to keep all three"

"Wait… I can't" Seto cried. Jou ignored drawing the first card on the deck. "They do belong to you Jou you don't-"

"It's ok…" Jou assured as he waited for Seto to draw the next card. "I want to give them to you anyway. It's just more fun this way. Besides, I'm sure you'll put them into better use than I would" Seto hesitated as he stared at the deck. Jou blinked waiting expectantly for him to draw. The chances of drawing were one in forty, between them and he hoped that he would not be the one to take away Jou's Blue Eyes. They took turns drawing cards when Seto found himself staring at the blue eyed beast. Jou chuckled as he slipped the other two into Seto's hand.

"Jounouchi-kun I can't take these" Seto said.

"Sure you can, because if you accept them, I can ask you to do something for me" Jou replied slipping into his pocket and pulling out a red slip of paper. "VIP seats for my next concert" Jou blushed. "Out of everyone that will be turning up, I want you to be there the most of all"

"Why?" Jou sighed as he leaned against the couch.

"Ever since Duellist Kingdom I guess. I don't really know what happened except that I felt myself go through some kind of nightmare I couldn't wake out of. Then the first person I see since I woke was you… so… these cards, they're more a 'thank you' for being there." Seto remembered that day when Jou's soul was taken away by Pegasus. For the two days that followed, Jou had remained in a comatose state and Seto had stayed with him forfeiting his place in the finals to be by the blond's side. It was silly really, for he knew what had happened and there wasn't much he could do unless he beat Pegasus. Seto stared at the blond briefly before he slipped the cards into his own deck.

"Why don't I walk you home? I know we haven't done much on the project but there's always tomorrow and besides, it's getting dark"

"Okies," Jou grinned as they walked out. Jou led the way walking a few metres before he stopped. "I'm home"

"WHAT!?" Seto yelped as he stared at the house next to his. Jou giggled whilst the brunet stood dumbstruck. "Y-You're my neighbour!?!?"

"I guess so ne?" Jou giggled some more as he hurried off to his house. "It's been a while since I've been here though. Well good night Seto-kun!" Seto blinked as bemused and cursed himself for his stupidity.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" he muttered to himself.

"Well you never asked son… and whenever I asked you to come by to greet your neighbours, you always declined" Hatori grinned amusedly at the brunet, an arm propped against the doorway.

"Now you're just being mean" Seto snapped back as he went back inside, his thoughts went back to Jou. His father lingered in the doorway staring at the house next door before he sighed and closed the door.

---

Hatori stared at his watch as the traffic came to a complete stand still. 'Well I'm already late, I don't see why I shouldn't just sit back and relax' he thought as he slipped the car into neutral and leaned back. His mind drifted back to the incident that morning, he had been absolutely terrified when he saw his son on the roof ledge that day. He sighed guiltily that perhaps he had overreacted from his fright. Seto was still a child after all. 'I think I'll cheer him up with sukiyaki tonight after a talk about what's dangerous and what's not' he thought as the traffic finally started to move. He stopped as the lights had changed red again just as the car in front of him passed the amber light. It had happened almost instantly as a screech of wheels and a massive crash as a speeding SUV slammed into the side of the car in front of him. Hatori ducked behind his steering wheel just as scrap metal bounced off his screen. The brown headed man widened his eyes as the he witnessed the broken remains of the small Caliber family car.

"Oh my God," he whispered as he heard a piercing scream amidst the smoke and debris. Getting out of his car, he ran towards the smashed up vehicles and peered inside the broken windows. "SOMEBODY CALL THE AMBULANCE!!!"

"My babies," he heard a young woman sitting in the front passenger of the car rasp. The red headed woman turned in her seat, a trickle of blood running from the side of her head. Hatori ran faster to help the small family realising that both of the drivers were dead.

"Katsuya?" he heard the woman whimper her voice rising with hysteria. "Katsuya? Sweetheart, speak to me!!! TALK TO YOUR OKAA-SAN KATSUYA!!! SOMEBODY!!! HELP ME!!!" Hatori reached and peered through the broken window of the car noticing a large hole where an object must have penetrated it. He gasped in horror when he saw two children, a girl and boy both about the same age as his two sons. The little girl possibly no more than five years old wept, crying 'onii-chan' whilst her older brother was on top of her, a large piece of shrapnel embedded in his back. The elder of the two was unconscious as Hatori hurriedly yanked the door open at the same time trying to calm mother and daughter. Eventually the ambulance arrived as Hatori carefully pulled the children out of the car.

"Ma'am what's your name?" Hatori asked maintaining his profession as a doctor. The woman cried as she grabbed the little girl and checking for wounds right after Hatori carefully lifted the boy called Katsuya from the car.

"J-Jounouchi… Jounouchi Anko" the woman sobbed, holding her daughter in one whilst the other held gripped the limp hand of her son. "My baby… my little boy…"

"It's alright I got him" Hatori assured as he walked towards the ambulance and carefully putting the boy on his side on the bed to avoid the metal from going deeper into his back.

"Oh God please be careful…" Anko cried as she hurried into the ambulance with her son.

"I will." Hatori replied as he went straight to work informing the paramedics of the boy's condition. "Patient's unconscious, but breathing; pulse is weak and a possible puncture of the left lung from a foreign object" They arrived at the hospital shortly as Katsuya was rushed towards the emergency.

"Wait… Katsuya… oh God," Anko whimpered as they made her stay outside of the emergency room.

"Calm down Jounouchi-san, let me treat that head wound first. The people in there are my colleagues they'll do their best to help your son" Hatori assured as he led mother and daughter to a bed.

"Onii-chan!" the little girl cried. "Mama I want to see onii-chan!"

"It'll be alright, sweetie" Anko assured hugging her more for her own reassurance.

"It wasn't your fault, Jounouchi-san," Hatori assured as he cleaned the wound. He smiled at the child playing with her mother's hair. "What's your name little one?"

"Shizuka…" the girl murmured. "I want to see onii-chan"

"You'll get to see him later Shi-chan. Right now just sit quietly with your okaa-san ne?" the child remained silent after that snuggling in her mother's arms. Hatori's heart sank as he thought of what was to become the girl's older brother. From his initial assessment, the wound had been deep and Katsuya may never reach full recovery. He decided not to dwell on those repercussions and concentrate on saving the boy's life now. At the moment he could do no more than comfort the boy's mother and sister. He asked for the personal details and other people to contact. To Hatori's relief Katsuya was out of the theatre and put in ICU. He smiled as the couple had decided to take his advice and sat by their son's side whispering assurances to him while he slept. Hatori returned home late that evening to be greeted with the sad face of his eldest son.

"Tou-san… Welcome home…" Seto murmured. Hatori wondered what the matter was when he remembered the near accident that morning that made him late. Clearly, Seto unlike him did not forget.

"It's good to be home," he greeted back smiling back.

"Tou-san?"

"Mmm?"

"M' sorry…" Tears threatened to fall down his face.

"For what?"

"For scaring you. I'm sorry Tou-san… I didn't mean to." The grey eyed man sighed as he took his son into a deep embrace.

"I got scared for you because I love you Seto. Promise me not to do something like that again ok?"

"I promise." Seto replied rubbing his eyes of the tears and instantly a smile was on his face.

"You're still grounded though alright?" Seto whined and he sat back with a pout. "Now, now, don't be like that. How about I get some stuff at the shop and rustle up a great big sukiyaki feast tonight ne?" In that instant, Seto's eyes lit up and all the pains and woes of the day seemed to melt away like a bad dream.

---

Seto sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. It wasn't exactly the height of fashion trench coat he remembered in that strange alternate life but the white shirt exposing a little of his chest fitted well over his black slacks and it certainly accentuated his figure. He flushed when he saw the wry smirk of his father leaning against his doorway.

"Oh my, my son's first date ne?"

"It's a concert Tou-san…"

"Looks like more a date to me"

"It would be rather boorish if I just went in a t-shirt and ripped up jeans that you buy from the market. Although, I doubt Jounouchi-kun would really notice I'm there anyway" Seto replied brushing himself down.

"So why not dress more extravagantly then he'll have no choice but to notice you and at any rate, he's given you VIP ticket ne? You'll be the person his looking out for"

"I'm worried Tou-san. I know he is in pain and if he carries on like this he'll get hurt even more and if he lives next door then… that family"

"It's all the more for you to be there to take care of him when he does have chest pains then. I'm sure his doctor and family have ordered him to stop but I believe he's trying to make a point on something" Hatori smiled as he ruffled his son's brown hair and headed. "Anyway, come on, your majesty, your carriage waits" he chuckled when the younger brunet stuck out his tongue in his response. The brunet waited patiently for the blond when he heard a might crash as the inside in Jou's house started to burst into angry shouts, crying and screaming. Alarmed, Seto went to investigate just as Jou got out of the house followed by a younger girl possibly a couple years older than Mokuba. The girl stalked towards Jou her eyes filled with cold fury and she swiped him across the face.

"Go on then, go ahead and kill yourself for all I care" she hissed stalking back into the house.

"Shizuka! Shizuka, apologise to your brother this instant! Katsuya please, listen to your okaa-san and stay at home ne?" Anko hurried down the stairs and urged him to come back inside.

"Sorry Okaa-san I gotta go," Jou said hugging the woman before he left.

"Katsuya!" Anko yelled as he jogged off leaping onto his motorcycle.

"Oh good you're here. Come on we're late" he said smiling putting on his helmet and tossing it a spare to the brunet. Seto stared between the blond and his mother before he reluctantly climbed on behind. Seto flushed as he hugged the slim waist, his hands brushing against the bare skin of Jou's stomach. The gorgeous blond was wearing a blood red crop top and jeans with a spiked dog collar and a black trench coat. He felt the hot engine rumble between his thighs as he gripped tightly to the slightly shorter blond. They had arrived shortly at the huge stadium where girls screamed (some fainting) as the blond passed by.

"Wait a minute you can't drive your bike into- WWWWHOOOOAAAA!!!" the brunet screamed as Jou ploughed through the huge crowd towards the stage, Jou's worried band mates blinked in confusion as the two boys got off and stood on the stage.

"Sorry I'm late!" Jou screamed down the microphone in the brief silence. Suddenly the whole stadium roared with delight as his relieved band mates started the intro, whilst Seto went to stand in the VIP box. The drummer started the night off slamming his sticks on his drums as the group played one mind blowing song after another. Seto stared paralysed watching the blond's body gyrate to the beat and the deafening sound of the fans increasing exponentially. Eventually, Seto recognised during one of the instrumental Jou wince and his voice although remaining the satiny tenor that he loved, weakened. The blond was out of breath and sweat poured from his face as he fought with the pain in his chest. Throughout the long hours, Seto watched in horror as Jou's voice faltered now and then. Jou turned towards Seto's direction and gave him a wink as he began his last song. Seto saw enough as he rushed from the box towards the stage just as the blond's last note was sung. Jou left the stage quickly stumbling briefly down the hallways with his band mates as Seto gave chase.

"Yo, Kat are you alright?" asked Shinji the drummer.

"… not really…" Jou murmured as he stumbled, his knees buckled.

"KATSUYA!" Seto screamed as he rushed to the singer's side catching him just before he fell unconscious.

"SHIT! KAT! KAT!!!" Koji, the guitarist shouted as he dug into his pocket for his cell phone.

"Katsuya? Katsuya!" Seto shook the blond as tears started to form in his eyes as he held him. "Why didn't I try to stop you? I knew you would… so why" he whispered to the blond. In truth Seto knew but he had been denying it. It was because Jou was already dying.

---

"Looks like I'm not going just yet…huh?" Jou giggled snuggling into the hospital bed, despite the paleness in his face, Seto stared, the sadness evident in his eyes. "Why the long face? It doesn't suit you"

"Why were you pushing yourself like that? You could have died" Seto scowled.

"Emphasis on could have" Seto sighed as he started continued peeling the orange for the rambunctious blond. The prospect of witnessing someone he loved slowly slip away was almost unbearable.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to" Jou answered matter-of-factly. "I don't see why I have to waste my precious time worrying about regretting things I've done or worrying what's gonna happen to me if I do this… or if I do that…" His eyes saddened. "Although, I wish my family could see things the same way we do. Especially, Shi-chan, I protected her from getting hurt that day, it was my job as a brother after all so she had nothing to be guilty about" Seto gasped. He understood that there was no point in making a wish. In fact there was no need, he had everything he ever wanted right here, right now. It was enough. In fact it was more than enough.

"So are you going to continue singing when you get out?" Seto chuckled.

"Nope… had enough of that… right now I want to spend time with the one person that's most special to me…" Jou smiled as he leaned against Seto's shoulder.

"I want to know all about you before I go… alright?" Seto smiled as a single tear fell from his eyes not out of sadness but out happiness.

"Well, it all started with a wish I had…"


End file.
